Meaning Of Birth
by Kuroyami Fukaikuro
Summary: Adam Taurus hates the Schnee. Weiss Schnee hates the White Fang. This is the story of why, and what happens when they meet. Adam and Weiss are the main characters, but others will show up now and then.
1. Prologue

Meaning of Birth

By: Kuroyami Fukaikuro

**A/N: Hello there. If this is your first time reading something by me, then welcome! If you're one of the people who followed and fave'd me, and are surprised that I'm publishing something on this site after years of inactivity, then welcome back! My writing skills have improved considerably since I last published something here, as you all will see.**

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Prologue: They who Fight Monsters

Adam Taurus hated the Schnee.

It was an understatement, but it was the truth. He had hated them since he was 6 years old, when he discovered the truth behind his conception and birth. It was then that he joined the White Fang, then that he began his quest for vengeance.

He had worked hard, silently suffering under the orders of his weak, peace-loving predecessor. He had risen through the ranks, earning the respect of the members, and one in particular. She, too, earned an equal amount of respect for her strength, a strength that rivaled his. They were inseparable, partners on every mission, eating together at every meal. She and he were as close as siblings. But her company did not sate his thirst for blood.

His wish was partially granted when he was 9, when the old leader stepped down, and the new one revealed a new policy for the White Fang- one of action, of violence- he was happy. For he could finally do what he'd always wanted to do; get revenge.

But the change in leadership affected his partner, and he did not see it. He did not see that she opposed the violence, opposed the assassinations, opposed all of it. He did not see that she wished for peace. So when she left him, he was heartbroken.

But not for long.

For his leader would be retiring, a raid on the Schnee gone wrong, an injury leaving him incapacitated. And the White Fang needed a strong leader, one who was dedicated to the cause, who would put all his thoughts, all his being on their goal. One who would lead them, and all the Faunus, from the darkness of their slavery into a shining future.

And Adam Taurus would lead them.

* * *

Weiss Schnee hated the White Fang.

It was an understatement, but it was the truth. She had hated them since she was 5, when an assassin had tried to kill her. He was a child to her bodyguards, but his ten-year old body was like that of a giant to her. And the moment he placed his hands around her neck was the first time she had engaged in physical contact with someone who wasn't a member of her family, or a servant. It was also the first time someone had acted aggressively towards her.

All in all, it was a very emotionally scarring experience.

She had survived, yes, but only barely, and the assassin managed to escape, mask and all. And after that, her entire life changed for the first time. More members of her family got attacked. Some were not as lucky as her, and did not survive. Her father became more and more distressed as his company suffered terrorist attacks, her mother more and more fearful for Weiss' sake. Weiss herself came to hate the White Fang more and more, and hate herself for fearing their power.

One day, at the age of 11, tired of her mother's pandering, and tired of being weak, she took up a sword and swore to become strong, so she would never have to fear the White Fang.

Her life changed again. Instead of a life of comfort, she leaped into the studies of battle, of swordsmanship and combat tactics.

Her father, however, was less than pleased with his daughter's antics. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company- she should be learning how to conduct business meetings and otherwise run the company, not fight like some common bodyguard. So he insisted that if she would learn to fight, she would attend a school for such things.

So she did. And she met Ruby, and Blake, and Yang, and when she found out that Blake was a former member of the White Fang, she was torn. She thought long and hard about what to do, and decided that Blake could be forgiven.

But the White Fang themselves?

They could never be forgiven.

End of Prologue.

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**A/N: So, what do you all think? I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for Chapter One, and the rest of it, coming… Whenever the hell I finish it, which may take some time as I'm swamped with schoolwork.**


	2. Chapter One

Meaning of Birth

By: Kuroyami Fukaikuro

**A/N: I want to address something right now. **_**THERE WILL BE NO WEISS/ADAM SHIPPING.**_** First of all, they hate each other- that's the fucking premise of the story. Secondly, it would be weird to do so, because part of the conflict of this story is based on a headcanon I have of Adam which is- You'll find out soon enough.**

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Chapter 1: Reunite

Weiss walked around Vale, looking for the local stationery shop. She had just been there the week before, but they had run out of paper- Ruby's latest room decoration idea had been to create their own wallpaper for the room.

It ended badly for everyone involved.

And so she, the richest girl on the team- in the whole school, really- had been tasked to purchase more paper, and some of the other things that were wasted on Ruby's endeavor. Ruby herself, as well as the rest of Team RWBY, was aiding Pyrrha in training Jaune.

Finally reaching the shop, she entered while a man in a black hoodie with the hood up entered the Dust shop next door.

Several minutes later, Weiss exited the shop, pleased that she had come when the store was having a sale. Turning to go home, she jumped when a scream erupted from the Dust shop. Weiss rushed in, Myrtenaster drawn, to see a woman backing away from a man.

The man wore a black hoodie and black pants. The hood was down, revealing his red and brown hair, as well as… horns?

* * *

Adam narrowed his eyes at an almost imperceptible degree when a woman entered the shop.

He recognized her, of course- how could he not? She was the object of his vendetta. She, with her white hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes that all members of the Schnee family had. He wanted to kill her from the moment she stepped into the room.

But he wouldn't. He wasn't stupid- the people in the store had seen his face, and he did not have Wilt and Blush, so actually killing her would be difficult. Plus, if any of the reports from his Beacon Academy spies were true, Weiss herself was a capable fighter.

He would have to wait. But he was fine with that- he had waited his whole life. Besides, he had a job to do. All he had to do was get out of the store without interference, and his work would be complete.

* * *

"What is going on here?" Weiss demanded.

The woman spoke first. "Why do you care? Stay out of this! I can handle this by myself!"

"My name is Weiss." Weiss intentionally ignored her last name, knowing that if she said it, the people arguing would either completely disregard her, thinking that she was some rich spoiled brat, or completely side with whatever decision she made, in an attempt to befriend her for the sake of gaining access to her wealth. "I am a Huntress serving at Beacon Academy."

"You seem a bit young to be a full-fledged Huntress," the man replied.

"I graduated early." It was a lie, but she figured that no one in the store actually understood Beacon's advancement or graduation process, and she needed to appear powerful to be able to mediate between the customers. "But that doesn't matter. Please, tell me what happened."

The man spoke first. "I was first in line, waiting for the storekeeper to return to the register- he was getting something from his stockroom. When the storekeeper came back, this woman barged in front of me, and when I told her to move, she pushed me. I was wearing my hood up previously, and my hood fell down from the push.

"Her scream is the reason why I wore my hood up- I knew that if I just walked in, everyone would freak out just because I was a Faunus."

Weiss turned to the woman. "Is this true?"

"Wha- No! I was first, and then HE barged in front of ME, and when I pulled his hood off to get his attention, I screamed because I was surprised that he was a Faunus!"

Weiss thought to herself for a moment. Before, she'd just write off the Faunus as lying, but now… She had to know the truth first. She turned to the storekeeper. "Sir, can you confirm either of their stories?"

He shook his head. "No. I was carrying a bunch of boxes when I returned, and I dropped them in surprise after I heard the scream."

Weiss then turned to the other store patrons. "Can any of you confirm either of their stories?"

They all shook their heads no; they were preoccupied with looking for whatever they were going to purchase. They only reacted to the scream.

_How convenient for both of them,_ thought Weiss. "Hmm. Are there cameras in the shop?" she asked the storekeeper.

"Yes, but I don't keep the data or anything. All the stores on the street have cameras that are linked to the security office, but I doubt they can help us at this moment. They're probably on their lunch break, and only they have the key to the office."

"There's more than one security guard… and they're ALL on their break?" Weiss asked, slightly irritated.

"Y-yes. There's not a lot of crime in this part of Vale, so the guards and cops are pretty lax about their jobs."

Weiss sighed. _Of course. Of course! This has to happen in the part of town where the police are horrible at their jobs! _Turning back to the man and woman, Weiss asked "Well since there's apparently no evidence to support or deny either of your stories, I have to ask: is either of you lying? Wait, don't answer that- of course one of you is lying. Which of you are lying?"

The both the man and woman remained silent for a few seconds before the woman scoffed. "Are you really going to take the word of a filthy Faunus seriously? Of course he's the one who's lying!"

Weiss saw the man clench his fist, and spoke before anything could happen. "What does being a Faunus or not have to do with anything? I'll have you know, one of my best friends is a Faunus, and she's as good a Huntress as I!"

* * *

Adam's eyes widened upon hearing Weiss' words before narrowing even more, and his fists clenched even tighter. _A Schnee? Friends with a Faunus? What a joke! She's probably just saying that to seem like she has some sort of moral high ground._

_ Oh well. It's beneficial to me, so I'll let her say what she wants._

* * *

Hearing Weiss' words, the woman took a step backwards in shock. "W-well, that doesn't mean he wasn't lying!"

The man spoke. "Oh for Dust's sake, would everyone shut up? I don't care who goes first anymore- I just want to make my purchase and leave."

Weiss glanced at the man, and then looked back at the woman. "Well, I guess you get what you want. If he's okay with you going first, then there's no more reason for me to be here." She sheathed Myrtenaster and began to leave, but a voice made her pause.

"Thanks anyways." It was the man.

Weiss glanced back and met his eyes, and was startled to find that they were the same color as hers. She nodded in reply to his words, and left.

* * *

Some hours later, Adam returned to the Vale headquarters of the White Fang, with a shopping bag containing one Dust crystal. Opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of Roman Torchwick beating one of the White Fang with his cane.

"How dare you spill coffee on my jacket, you filthy mutt!" he yelled.

Adam rushed over and punched Roman in the face, knocking him back several feet. "Enough. The scouting's done- there are some cameras, but they aren't any use. The cops in the area are extremely bad at their jobs. Now, go and do yours."

Roman rubbed his cheek as he walked out, followed by several other members of the White Fang.

"You and you- get him to the infirmary."

The Faunus on the floor protested. "No, it's okay boss, I'm fine."

Adam looked at him and blinked once. "You are a member of the White Fang because you want to fight back against abuse from humans. Are you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then don't just sit there and take abuse from a human! Especially from Roman. I hate that guy." Adam helped the Faunus soldier to his feet. "If you're fine, then hit Roman back the next time he hits you."

The Faunus soldier nodded. "You're right. Thanks boss."

Adam nodded as the Faunus soldier walked away, presumably to ignore Adam's instructions and get a drink instead of go to the infirmary. Adam himself walked down the halls towards a specific room.

Entering it, he called out "Cinder!"

The woman in question turned from a board that outlined their plan. "What is it, Adam?" Her two associates turned to look at Adam as well, but said nothing. Adam didn't like them- they were too quiet. It unsettled him.

"How much longer do we have to work together? I won't tolerate any more violence on my men and women from Roman."

Cinder smiled slyly in response. "Don't worry, Adam." She turned back to the board, and gestured towards where they were in relation to the steps of their plan. "Both of our goals will be met, and soon."

"Not soon enough," Adam replied, and he walked out of the room, leaving Cinder to discuss things with her associates.

End of Chapter One.

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**A/N: And that's one chapter down! Hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for more!**


	3. Chapter Two

Meaning of Birth

By: Kuroyami Fukaikuro

**A/N: Oh jeez, it's been a while, huh? Sorry, school and all that. Welcome back! In this chapter, Weiss and Ruby make out! (no they don't why would you believe that)**

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Chapter Two: Past and Presents

Weiss walked through the dorm hallway to her team's room, carrying several shopping bags. Passing by the doors of other teams, she thought about what had transpired, wondering how she could have possibly handled the situation better.

_I could have been more patient with the storekeeper, I guess. Though I was plenty patient compared to some other times… Oh! I probably should have told the shops' landlord about the poor jobs the security guards are doing. And I… Hm._

She paused, mid-step as she remembered her reaction to the woman's words about the Faunus man.

_I stood up for a Faunus. Hah! Weiss Schnee, standing up for a Faunus… I wonder what my parents would think._

Shaking her head, she continued walking towards her dorm room.

_I wonder what Blake will think._

* * *

Adam Taurus walked up the stairs to the roof of the White Fang's Vale Headquarters. Upon reaching the roof, he leaned against a railing, pulled a pack of cigarettes out from his coat and lit one up while thinking of what had happened in the Dust shop.

_Weiss Schnee…_

* * *

_ Twelve years. Twelve years since they had last met, since his first attempt at vengeance. Since the time he placed his hands around her neck and squeezed with all the strength he had. He had failed, that day- the bomb he made was the work of an amateur, and only managed to kill one of her bodyguards. The other stopped him upon reawaking._

_ And then he ran, while the guard comforted the Heiress. He ran, and ran, and ran into the leader of the White Fang. Well, the head before him. Buck London._

_ Adam had apologized to Buck, and Buck to Adam. Buck had asked what was wrong, and Adam said it was none of his business._

_ Buck became intrigued. He insisted that Adam tell him, and Adam finally agreed when a police car sped past them. Noticing the connection, Buck led Adam to the White Fang headquarters in Mistral._

_ There, Adam met Buck's father, Jack, and told his story. Buck praised him- Jack admonished him. Father and Son argued about Adam's methods while Adam watched, quietly and fearfully._

_ Then Jack stormed off, leaving Buck with Adam. Adam asked what would become of him. Buck smiled in response._

_ "You've got good ideas, kid. But you're weak. Too weak to really fight against humans."_

_ "So what? Are you gonna send me home or something?"_

_ "Do you have a home to go back to?"_

_ "I-" Adam remembered his mother's face, shuddering in anguish as the Schnee assassin stabbed her, as he cowered in a cupboard. "No."_

_ "Then stay here. You'll do good, peacefully protesting the mistreatment of the Faunus under my dad's leadership. And when I take over," Buck smiled a wolfish grin, "we'll do things more along what you had in mind. We'll seize our freedom with our own hands, or paws, or tails, or whatever appendage a Faunus may have. We'll fight our slavery at the hands of Humans, and we'll rise out of the darkness of our past losses into a shining future."_

_ "And until then?"_

_ "I'll train you. And my dad will teach you, albeit without meaning to. He'll teach you how to lead, if you watch him closely, and I'll teach you how to fight."_

_ "I thought you were taking over for your dad?"_

_ "Oh, I am. But it's always good to have a contingency plan."_

_ "'Contingency'?"_

_ "It means 'backup', kid."_

_ "I'm your backup plan? Not a friend of yours?"_

_ Buck had shrugged in response, his wolf ears twitching. "I don't have many friends… I prefer the company of myself. Now enough discussion. We can work out the details of this cooperation later on. Now is the time you make a decision: will you join the White Fang, or not?"_

_ Buck had barely finished the sentence when Adam had responded, "Yes."_

_ Buck laughed now, but it sounded more like the howl of a Beowolf to Adam. "Alright then! Come along, I'll introduce you to some of the few others I do know. Oh! I just remembered, we have another kid in our ranks. A kid like you, some girl named… Belladonna? Or something…"_

* * *

Adam shook his head, smiling as he remembered meeting Blake. How shy she was, how timid. And she turned out to be as good a warrior as him.

_I guess anyone can become strong, with enough training._

But then his smile disappeared as he remembered her leaving, her disappearance. Then his expression soured even further as he thought of the reports from his spies at Beacon.

_Blake is working with Weiss Schnee. I guess that's the friend the Heiress referred to in the shop? More like 'slave' if she's anything like her family._

Adam shook his head and took a long drag from his cigarette. _Whatever. As long as she stays out of the way, she doesn't matter. I won't have to fight her. Then again, if Roman told the truth in his last report, maybe he'll fight her for me, leaving me to kill Weiss._

Blowing out a smoke ring, Adam dropped the remains of his cigarette and stepped on it, putting it out. _Either way, if Cinder's right then she'll die soon enough, and her father and mother will follow suit._

Adam walked towards the roof's door, hands in his pants pockets. Before opening the door, he turned and gazed a Beacon's skyline for a few seconds before turning the handle and going back inside.

* * *

Weiss opened the door to her team's room, and was promptly greeted by her leader.

"Welcome back Weiss! What took so long? It's already dark."

"Well, I got the supplies quickly enough, but then there was an altercation at the Dust shop next door."

"What?" Yang asked. "Really? What happened?"

"Yeah, tell us Weiss!" Ruby said.

"I will, if you'd let me. Anyways, it was nothing big. There was no fight or anything- Yang, don't look so disappointed. Just an argument over who was first in line."

"Why would that make you stay out so late?" Ruby asked.

"Well, it wasn't the fight itself, but my thoughts afterward."

"Could you explain in more detail?"

"Again, I will once you just let me get to it. Anyways, the argument was between a woman and a Faunus man-" Weiss noticed she had Blake's undivided attention. "-and it was pretty obvious the woman was lying. But the Faunus didn't care, he just let the woman get in front and that was that.

"Afterwards, I was thinking about it, and I remembered some of the things I said about the Faunus in the past, and … I regretted some of it. So," Weiss said, pulling a black box out of one of the bags, and held it towards Blake. "This is an apology. If you want it."

Blake closed the book she was reading and slowly walked towards Weiss. She took the box, and Ruby and Yang glanced at each other nervously.

She opened the box, and inside was a bow whiter than Weiss' hair. Blake glanced up. "This isn't really my color."

"I know, it's just… I figured, what with you being a former member of the White Fang, you must have had a dark past, or something, and… It's supposed to represent that despite your past, you have a bright future with all of us here, at Beacon."

Blake stared at the bow for several seconds. Weiss shifted uncomfortably.

Finally, Blake stepped forward and placed her arms around Weiss, pulling her into a hug that caused her to drop the shopping bags.

"Thank you," Blake said.

The room was silent in reverence of what had just occurred. Then, Yang spoke up. "So where's our presents, Weiss?"

"Yang!" Ruby said.

"What? It's not like you don't want one either."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "It's okay, Ruby. I expected this. Here," she said, pulling out two more boxes.

Ruby got a red box, and Yang a yellow box. Upon opening it, they gasped excitedly.

"Oh my gosh!" Ruby shouted. "The latest volume of 'Red vs Blue'? I love this series!"

"Yes. That's kind of why I got it for you."

"Aaaaah!" Yang screamed, twirling around in a bright yellow trench-coat. The sleeves were cut short at the elbows however, and the buttons only went to the waist, allowing for a full range of leg movements. "This looks so badass! I love it!"

"You'd better! Do you know how much of a pain it was to remember your size? That was tailor made today!"

"Really? What'd you do to get the tailor to make it so fast?"

"I offered him five thousand Lien to get the job done in four hours or less."

"Yeah, that'd do it…"

Weiss turned to Blake. "Blake, you still haven't tried on the bow."

"Oh… do you want me to?"

"You don't have to now if you don't want to."

Blake shook her head. "No, I'll do it. Give me a sec." She untied her black bow, and her ears twitched after being revealed. Blushing slightly at being seen, she quickly tied on the white bow. "Well? What do you think?"

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang looked at each other, wide-eyed. Then they looked back at Blake.

"What? Is it bad?"

"No," Weiss insisted. "We were just surprised because it looks _really_ good."

Blake blushed again, then composed herself and coughed. "Weiss?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks again."

Weiss smiled. "What are friends for?"

End of Chapter Two.

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**A/N: And that's another one! Would you all believe it if I told you I started working on this chapter a few weeks ago (right after I published Chapter One), got one paragraph done, and finished the rest of it in a few hours today (3/29/14)? 'Cuz that's what happened!**

**Oh! Before I forget, I'd like to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites list and followed it. But I'd especially like to thank everyone who commented. You guys are the best, and comments are really the biggest reason I have for writing. Because it's feedback, and I love that shit. Keep it coming!**


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